Metallic connecter



1935- H. A. DOUGLAS 2,010,453

METALLIC CONNECTER Filed July 30, 1932 Ftij' F32 III.

Patented Aug, 6, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Harry A. Douglas,Bronson, Mich.

Application July 30, 1932, Serial No. 626,632

This invention relates to metallic more particularly for electricalconductors.

Among other objects, the invention aims to provide an integral metallicconnecter embodying a receptacle portion and an attaching portion formedfrom a single blank and readily adaptable for receiving one or aplurality of conductors by a snap action.

Other objects and advantages will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art. For example, my improved connecter also provides clampingmeans whereby it and a fuse clip, for instance, may be secured to aninsulating mounting.

The invention will be more fully explained by reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a cross-section through oneform of my improved connecter, being a section taken on the line I-l ofFigure 2;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1,parts being shown in elevation;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a blank from which my improvedconnecter may be formed;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view showing a fuse block with theinvention applied thereto, parts being shown in section; a

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of connecter embodyingmy invention;

Figure 6 is'a cross-section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 6 but showing a furthermodification.

My improved connecter is desirably formed from a single piece of metal Isuch as brass or other suitable sheet material which may be stamped outand intermediately bent as shown in Figure 3.-

The intermediate blank shown in Figure 3 may be further shaped as shownin Figure '1.

to have its free ends 2 and 3 overlap each other. One of theseoverlapping ends, such as the end 3, may have a slot 4 struck out of thematerial thereof and the other overlapping end, such as the end 2, mayhave a tongue 5 struck inwardly thereof to be received in the slot 4,thus forming male and female interengaging portions which preventseparation of the ends.

These ends 2 and 3 are, in this instance, shaped to provide arectangular receptacle portion 6 which receives the flat wire terminalI. The terminal I which is broadly claimed in my copending-application,Serial No. 616,842 filed June 13, 1932 is securely attached to theinsulated wire 7 Claims. (01. 173-328) "Q connecters 8 as by havingcylindrical'portions 9 and I which receive the end of the wire 8, thecylindrical portion 9 receiving the wire 8 with its insulation and thecylindrical portion l being of reduced diameter and snugly receiving thebared end It of the wire which may be further secured thereto as bysoldering.

Where the receptacle portion 6 receives but one wire terminal 1, thesides of the connecter forming the receptacle portion 6 may be in- 10dented as at l2 to receive the terminal 1 snugly therebetween.

In accordance with my invention the bight of the connecter provides theattaching portion 13 which is desirably cylindrical and hasits hollow 1interior I 4 communicating with the interior I5. .of the receptacleportion.

but yieldingly retained in the receptacle portion 6, I provide resilientmeans carried by the con- 3 necter for yieldingly engaging theterminal 1. As shown in Figures 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 such means may comprisea. dome-shaped detent (6, pro-:. jected into the interior I5of thereceptacle portion 6 and pressed thereinto by the compression coilspring I! housed in the interior ll of the attaching portion Hi. Theterminal I may be 7 provided on its edge adjacent the detent 16 with' ra shoulder l8 over which the detent rides to snap into the recess IS,the edge of the terminal being desirably tapered on each side of theshoulder l8 to provide a cam'surface upon which the detent rides.To-limit movement of the dea tent into the interior l5 when the terminalis removed, I provide interengaging means carried. by the connecterlimiting movement of the detent into the receptacle, but permittingmovement of the detent against the force of the spring l1. As shown inFigures 1 to 6, inclusive, the detent l8 may be provided with lugs 20which are 40 received in slots 2| formed in the wall of the connecterand slightly elongated in the direction of movement of the detent towardand away from the receptacle portion 6. One use forthe connecter whereit receives but one wire terminal 1 may be in conjunctionj wi th a fuseblock comprising the insulating mounting 22 and the metallic fuse clips23, two of the connecters being mounted on the mounting 22 and desirablyclamping thereto the fuse clips 23. To 5 permit my improved connecter tobe used also for this purpose as a clamping means, I may form theattaching portion l3 of the connecter with the screw threads 24 upon itsexterior to have threaded thereon the clamping nut 25. Since thereceptacle portion 6 of the connecter is longer than the diameter of theattaching portion I 3 shoulders 26 are afforded between the receptacleportion 6 and attaching portion l3 which overhangs the attachingportion. The nut '25 and shoulders 26 receive therebetween the margins2'! of holes 28 in the mounting 22 through which the attaching portionI3 is passed. Ihe mounting 22 is desirably thickerthan the length of theattaching portion [3 and the holes 28 may be counterbored as at 29 toreceive the clamping nuts 25 therein. Thus not only are the connectersthemselves connected to the mounting 22; but the connecters may serve toclamp thereto the clips 23 as by having the attaching portions M of theconnecters pass through suitable apertures in the clips, the margins ofwhich are clamped between the shoulders 26 and the mounting 22. Thecircuit between the insulated wires 8, one of which is secured to eachof the connectors, as shown in Figure 4, may be continued through theconventional fuse 30 carried by the clips 23.

My improved connecter may alsobe advantageously used as a directconnection between the two insulated Wires 8 as shown in Figures and 6.For the latter purpose, the attaching portion ti of the connecter may besecured to any suitable insulating mounting and the indentations it maybe omitted'as shown in Figures 5 and 5 so that the receptacle portion 32may receive two of the terminals i in side by side overlapping relation,the terminals being inserted from opposite sides of the connecter andthe dome-shaped detent 33 engaging both of-the terminals l.

As shown in Figure 7, the detent 36 may be of spherical form. Movementof the spherical detent 34 inwardly of the receptacle portion 35 may belimited by tongues 36 struck inwardly of the wall of the connecter uponone side of the diam- 1. A connecter embodying an integral metal blankfolded upon itself to form a cylindrical a-ttaching portion and arectangular receptacle portion, the attaching portion being formed bythe bight of the blank and the receptacle portion by the free ends ofthe blank being spaced apart from each other and adapted to receive aterminal member and the interiors of said portions communicating, theexterior of the bight being screw-threaded and the free ends havinginterlocking formations to secure the ends together; a detent interposedbetween the said interiors, said detent having means intereng aging withthe connecter to permit limited movement therebetween; and a coil springhoused'in the interior of the attaching portion bottomed on the bightand pressing the detent into the receptacle portion.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the interlocking formations on thefree ends of the blank consist of struck out male and female portionsinterengaging to lock the ends together.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein a shoulder is provided between thereceptacle and attaching portions and said shoulder overhangs theattaching portion for engagement with a mounting member.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein a nut is threadedly received uponthe attaching portion, and the receptacle portion provides a shoulderoverhanging the attaching portion, whereby the connecter may be clampedto a mounting member received between said 'nut and shoulder.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein the sides of the connecter areprovided with oppositely disposed elongated slots and the detentis'provided with lugs received in said slots to permit limited movementof the detent.

6. The structure of claim 1 wherein the sides of the connecter areoppositely indented to reduce the distance therebetween to snuglyreceive a terminal member.

7. A connecter embodying an integral metal blank folded upon itself toform a cylindrical attaching portion and a rectangular receptacleportion, the attaching portion being formed by the bight of the blankand the receptacle portion by the free ends of the blank being spacedapart from each other and adapted to receive a terminal member and theinteriors of said portions communicating, the exterior of the bightbeing screwthreaded and the free ends having interlocking formations tosecure the ends together, a detent interposed between the saidinteriors, and a coil spring housed in the interior of the attachingportion bottomed on the bight and pressing the detent into thereceptacle portion, said detent bei of spherical formation and the sidesof the connecter having inwardly struck tongues spaced apart a distanceless than the diameter of the detent to limit movement of the detent.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS.

